GSLO ML&C 1: LANGUAGE, LINGUISTICS, & COMPARISONSGSLO ML&C 2: CULTURES & LITERATURESKennesaw State University-Department of Foreign Languages German 3200: Critical Reading and Applied Writing Fall 2007 Instructor: Dr. Susanne Kelley Section: 11:00-12:15 MW, Burruss 272 Office: Pilcher 254 Office Hours: W 12:30-2 and by appointment Email: [email protected] Office Phone: 678-797-2383 (email is better and faster) Program Coordinator: Dr. Sabine Smith, 770-423-6501, [email protected] Textbooks: • Motyl-Mudretzkyj, et al. Anders gedacht. Text and Context in the German-Speaking World. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2005. • Any standard College Dictionary English-German/German-English Catalog Description: German 3200 emphasizes skill development and refinement in the areas of critical reading and writing in German. Designed to give students extensive experience in reading and writing in German, the course focuses on the relationship between writing and reading, and on ways to improve one through the other. Prerequisite: German 2002 or equivalent. Course Goals: German 3200 introduces you to authentic texts of different types. You will continue to practice and polish the five language skills (speaking, listening, reading, writing, and culture) with special emphasis on reading, writing and culture. This course will be taught in hybrid format, which means that we will meet in the classroom for only half of the total class sessions. You will complete the other half of the course work through a variety of online assignments, discussions and submissions. Course Expectations: Participation and Attendance: In class: Classroom activities are mainly concerned with the acquisition of active communication skills, which means that you will frequently prepare oral and written assignments in pairs and groups (speaking and writing only German!). Class will begin on time. Punctual attendance is mandatory and absolutely essential, especially given the limited number of sessions we will meet in the classroom. It is very difficult to make up classroom work and you likely miss important information or preparation for the online components of the course. Your attendance will be calculated so that you get one absence for free. There is no way to make up or excuse non-participation beyond that one absence, because regardless of your reason for not coming to class, you are missing material, and you are not participating in discussion. Online: In the online portion of this course, you will concentrate on improving your reading and writing skills. You will complete reading assignments, guided by worksheets, and a variety of written assignments including weekly online discussions. Your participation in these discussions is as important and earns you as many points as your in-class attendance. I believe in the benefits of peer-learning, and I see the discussion boards as an opportunity for you to learn from (and teach) each other. Although I will offer comments and feedback on your postings, I see the discussion boards primarily as a venue for student interaction. Because we won’t see each other as regularly as in a traditionally taught course, you are required to keep up with many scheduled due dates and visit the website frequently. I expect you to check the Vista site at least once every 48 hours; I will regularly communicate with you via announcements and it is your responsibility to keep up with that information. 1Homework and Tests: Assignments and tests cannot be made up, except in cases of documented family or medical emergencies. You can find the homework assignments in the calendar of the WebCT Vista site. You must submit your homework online before the day and time it is due. Please name all documents you submit online according to the following format: your last name_name of assignment.doc (or .rtf). Please note that homework does not have to be mistake-free to earn top points. Students who are struggling with the language can still get perfect scores for their homework if they take it seriously. You will be expected to be able to respond to homework assignments orally as well. Be sure to check over returned homework. It is a good idea to correct the errors that have been marked. Quizzes and tests will be given online or in take-home format and must be submitted by the due date and time. Essays/Aufsätze: Aufsätze are more formal writing assignments that will be graded on both content and grammatical accuracy. They will be typed and double spaced to be submitted online. There will be three essays. Your grade will be based on two versions of each essay. The second version will include the suggested corrections marked on the first draft. When submitting the second draft, please include the first one too. Your revised essay will not be accepted without the first draft. The final grade on the essay will be the average of the original essay and the revision. You may only revise each composition once. Late Aufsätze will drop one grade step each calendar day (that includes Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays) that they are late. Under no circumstances will I accept papers that are more than a week late. Presentation/Referat: You will give one presentation about any German text you have read outside of the regular class assignments. These presentations can take place orally in-class or in written format online. You will be graded on how well you communicate orally or in writing, and show what you have learned. Evaluation: 3 Essays 100 points each 30% Homework, online assignments 150 points 15% 2 online Quizzes 50 points each 10% Presentation, online or in class 50 points 5% Take-home Midterm 100 points 10% Take-home Final Exam 100 points 10% In-class Participation, Chats, 200 points 20% Online Discussions, Email Total 1000 points 100% Grading Scale: 100-90%=A; 89-80%=B; 79-70%=C; 69-60%=D; 59% and below=F Technology: To complete all components of this course successfully, you must have a reliable internet connection, preferably a high-speed, DSL or cable connection that will allow for the multiple downloads and interaction on the course website required by the course. Having problem with your internet connection is NOT an excuse for failure to complete assignments on time. There are computers available on campus, at